Gurinder Chadha

Gurinder Chadha was just a child when her family moved from Kenya to the UK. But growing up in London, she soon learned that her real love was the world of broadcast media.

Not long into adulthood, she started working and producing projects for BBC Radio and Television as well as the British Film Institute and the television network Channel Four. From there, she moved on to set up her own production company.

But it is for one film that Chadha remains famous. The blockbuster “Bend it Like Beckham” rocketed Keira Knightley to fame while grossing over $75-million worldwide. The film also exposed audiences to the challenges of young people growing up while balancing a western culture with a traditional home environment.

In 2006 Chadha was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the film industry.